Around St. Helena: New year; tax time

Now that the new year has begun, it’s time to get your paperwork in order to file your 2014 tax return.

If there was ever a time to hire a tax preparer or accountant, tax experts say 2015 may just be the year to do so. Good luck with the paperwork.

Parent Academy to begin

The Parent Academy at St. Helena schools is a community collaborative effort to help parents become full partners in their children’s education and is set to begin in February.

Superintendent Kelli Joseph said that to become full partners, it is important to increase family engagement in the school district while empowering parents with the knowledge and skills needed to be triumphant. When parents become triumphant, it will encourage their children to become successful students, which increases the opportunity for them to be successful adults, she said.

To ensure success, the St. Helena Parish School District has collaborated with Regions Bank and other local organizations to offer parents and guardians the opportunity to participate in free workshops, courses and family educational events. To better serve parents, all these events will be held within the school district and at other locations.

For information on the program, contact the school district office at (225) 222-4349.